Buccal attachment



Sept. 25, 1962 P. c. KESLING BUCCAL ATTACHMENT Z SheetS-Sheet 1 FiledAug. 8. 1960 FIGZ m El L m V C R E T E P ATT'YS Sept. 25, 1962 P. c.KESLING 3,055,110 BUCCAL ATTACHMENT Filed Aug. 8. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2IIIIIIITIA I FIG. 9 FIG. IO FIG.||

INVENTOR: PETER C. KESLING BY. My

3,055,110 Patented Sept. 25, 1962 3,055,110 BUCCAL ATTACHMENT Peter C.Kesling, Green Acres, La Porte, Ind. Filed Aug. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 48,2834 Claims. (Cl. 32-14) This invention relates to apparatus employed inorthodontics, and more particularly to buccal attachments, and stillmore particularly to the combination of a buccal attachment and an archwire for controlling torque on the anchor tooth.

The practice of orthodontics is primarily concerned with the positioningof teeth, wherein an arch wire is connected to selected teeth of adental arch. The opposite or distal ends of the wire are normallyconnected to anchor teeth. Generally, the anchor teeth are molars nearthe back of the dental arch. Inasmuch as the distal ends of an arch wireare connected to anchor teeth, forces are transmitted through the archwire to and from these teeth, some forces of which may be undesirableand tend to 'malposition the anchor teeth. Further, it is desirable toprevent rotation of the arch wire, as it is also desirable to preventrotation of an anchor tooth about the arch wire.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new andimproved buccal attachment for retaining the distal ends of an archWire.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of a buccalattachment adapted to be secured to an anchor tooth for receiving adistal end of an arch wire, wherein the attachment may be easilymanipulated by an orthodontist.

A further object of this invention is in the provision of a buccalattachment in combination with means provided on the arch wire forcontrolling the torque on a tooth supporting the buccal attachment.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a buccalattachment for accepting the distal end of an arch wire wherein theattachment ofiers complete protection to the arch Wire from forces ofchewing or occlusion.

Another object of this invention is in the provision of a buccalattachment adapted to be secured to an anchor tooth of a dental arch andto coact with an offset portion on an arch wire for controlling thetorque on the anchor tooth.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparentfrom the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like reference numerals referto like parts, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a dental arch having an arch wire connected tothe teeth of the dental arch and buccal attachments in accordance withthe invention arranged on the anchor teeth of the arch;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the buccal attachment of theinvention as mounted on a tooth band carried by an anchor tooth and incondition to have the distal end of an arch wire mounted thereon;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view similar to that of FIG. 2 but illustratingthe distal end of an arch wire as received by and locked to theattachment.

FIG. 4 is a greatly enlarged transverse sectional view taken through thebuccal attachment substantially along line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a modified buccal attachment constructedin accordance with the invention;

FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken through the attachment ofFIG. 5 substantially along line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another modified attachment constructedin accordance with the invention.

FIG. 8 is a transverse sectional view taken through the attachment ofFIG. 7 and substantially along line 88 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a more or less schematic end view of an attachment similar tothat illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 and illustrating the offset portion of thewire as extending gingivally;

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9 but illustrating the offset portionof the wire as extending bucally; and

FIG. 11 is a view similar to that of FIG. 9 but illustrating the offsetportion of the wire as extending occlusally.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, a dental arch10 includes a plurality of teeth. Each of the teeth has a conventionaltype of band 11 secured thereto in any suitable manner such as by use ofcement. Except for the rear molars 12 and 13, all of the bands areprovided with wire receiving brackets 14 on the labial or buccal sidethereof having connected thereto an arch wire 15. Buccal attachments 16constructed in accordance with the invention are secured to the bands 11of the rear molars for receiving the distal ends of the arch wire 15.Thus, the rear molars become the anchor teeth for the arch wire system.

The buccal attachment 16 of the invention is suitably connected to thetooth band 11 such as by spot welding and soldering. The attachmentcomprises an elongated tubular member 17 having a transversely extending slot 18 at the mesial end of the attachment and a transverselyextending slot 19 at the distal end of the attachment. The tubularmember 17 extends mesialdistally and is also provided with an axiallyextending slot 20 intersecting with the transverse slots 18 and 19.

The slots 18 and 19 define a mesial end section 21, a distal end section22 and a center slide section 23. As may be seen most clearly in FIG. 4,the slots 18 and 19 extend through a greater portion of the tubularmember and coact with the mesial-distally extending slot 20 to define onthe end sections ears 24, 25, 26 and 27. Upon receiving the arch wire,the ears 24, 25 and 26, 27 are squeezed together to eliminate the slotin the area of the end sections and thereby form closed ends to lock thearch wire 15 within the confines of the tubular member 17, as shown inFIG. 3. When the end sections are closed, they define slightly smallersections than the center section 23. The mesial end section 21 and thedistal end section 22 of the tubular member may then be opened or closedas required to remove and replace the arch wire.

As seen in FIG. 3, the arch wire is provided with an otfset section 28slidably receivable in the slot 20 of the center slide section 23 andslightly protruding from the outer surface of the attachment. The offsetsection 28 may be of any desired configuration capable of being receivedin the slot 20. The upper face of the slot, identified by the numeral29, FIG. 4, limits the upward or occlusal movement of the offsetsection, while the lower face 30 of the slot limits downward or gingivalmovement of said section 28. The width of the slot 20 is slightlygreater than the thickness of the arch wire 15 to permit the oflisetsection to slide freely in either direction until it is stopped againstone or the other of the closed end sections 21 and 22. The position ofthe attachment on the tooth band 11 and the tooth can be such that theslot is directed buccally as shown in FIGS. 1-4 and 10, gingivally asshown in FIG. 9, or occlusally as shown in FIG. 11. Thus, the arch Wire15 having its distal ends received by buccal attachments on the anchorteeth is prevented from rotating relative to the anchor teeth, or it maybe stated that the anchor teeth are prevented from rotating about thewire because of the restricting action of the buccal attachments on bothsides of the offset section in the arch wire, thereby controlling thetorque of the anchor teeth.

The buccal attachments of FIGS. 1-4 is circular in cross-section and maybe made from a length of circular tubing by slitting it lenghwise andthen at right angles at each end to form the axially extending andtransversely extending slots.

A modified form of the invention is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, wherein thetubular member is oval in crosssectional configuration and generallydesignated by the numeral 16A. In this embodiment, a part of the tubularmember is removed along one of the narrow ends, by milling or othersuitable methods, to define a cut-away section or notch 31. The cut-awaysection 31 thereby defines a center slide section 32, a mesial endsection 33 and a distal end section 34. The mesial end section 33 isslit longitudinally at 35 to allow the ears 36 and 37 to be bent apartor together to open and close the mesial end of the member for removingand replacing the arch Wire 15. By removing the cut-away portion 31, anupper edge 38 is defined, FIG. 6, for limiting the upward or occlusalmovement of the offset section 28 and a lower edge 39 is provided forlimiting the downward or gingival movement of the otfset section. As inthe embodiments of FIGS. 14, the arch wire is provided with a likeoffset portion for coacting with the buccal attachment to preventrelative rotation therebetween.

Another embodiment of the invention is disclosed in FIGS. 7 and 8 andgenerally designated by the numeral 16B, and differs from the embodimentof FIGS. 5 and 6 in that the tubular member is substantially rectangularin cross-sectional configuration. Again, a cut-away or notched section40 is provided to receive the offset section 28 of the arch wire, andthe cut-away section thereby defines a center slide section 41, a mesialend section 42 and a distal end section 43. As in the embodiment ofFIGS. 5 and 6, only the mesial end 4-2 is slit along the buccal .side at44 thereby defining ears 45 and 46 that may be opened or closed topermit removal and replacement of the arch wire. It can be appreciatedthat the very distal end of the arch Wire is first inserted in theclosed distal end section 43 and then the area of the arch wire mesialto the offset portion may be slipped through the opened mesial endsection and in proper position. Then closing of the mesial end sectionlocks the arch wire in position and eifectively connects it to an anchortooth. Upper and lower control faces 47 and 48, FIG. 8, serve torestrict movement of the offset section 28 of the arch wire.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be efiectedwithout departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the presentinvention, but it is understood that this application is to be limitedonly by the scope of the appended claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. In combination with an arch wire, a buccal attachment adapted to bemounted buccally of an anchor tooth, said attachment comprising anelongated mesialdistally extending tubular member adapted to slidablyreceive the distal end of the arch wire, said member having a pair ofend sections and a center slide section, a mesial-distally extendingslot in said center section, one of said end sections being splitmesial-distally to permit same to be opened and closed for passing thearch wire, and an offset portion in said arch wire slidably received bysaid slot in the center section.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein the tubular member has a circularcross-section.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein the tubular member has arectangular cross-section.

4. The combination of claim 1, wherein the tubular member has an ovalcross-section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

